Resin-encapsulated semiconductor device and lead frame, and method for manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

There are provided a lead frame including a plurality of first external terminal portions  5  provided on a plane, inner lead portions  6  formed of back surfaces of the respective first external terminal portions and arranged so as to surround a region inside the inner lead portions, and second external terminal portions  7  formed of uppermost surfaces of convex portions positioned outside the respective inner lead portions; a semiconductor element  2  flip-chip bonded to the inner lead portions via bumps  3 ; and an encapsulating resin  4  encapsulating surroundings of the semiconductor element and the inner lead portions. The first external terminal portions are arranged in a lower surface region of the encapsulating resin along a periphery of the region, and the second external terminal portions are exposed on an upper surface of the encapsulating resin. A plurality of terminals  8  for electrical connection are provided in a grid pattern in a region inside the first external terminal portions and exposed on a lower surface of the encapsulating resin. A plurality of semiconductor elements or coils and resistors can be incorporated, and further semiconductor devices can be stacked.

This application is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 11/071,343, filed Mar.3, 2005 which application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice in which a semiconductor element is bonded on inner leads of alead frame and the surroundings thereof are encapsulated with a resin,and that allows other semiconductor devices or functional componentssuch as a resistor to be stacked in a vertical direction.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, in order to cope with miniaturized and high-densityelectronic equipment, high-density packaging of semiconductor componentssuch as a resin-encapsulated semiconductor device has been demanded, andaccordingly smaller and thinner semiconductor components have beendeveloped. For example, the type of a package is being changed from aperipheral package in which external terminals are provided on theperiphery of a semiconductor device to an area array package in whichexternal terminals are provided in a grid pattern on a mounting surfaceof a semiconductor device. Further, semiconductor devices that are smalland thin and yet have a large number of pins also have been developed.

Hereinafter, a conventional resin-encapsulated semiconductor device willbe described. In recent years, a resin-encapsulated semiconductor devicecalled “QFN (Quad Flat No-lead Package)” in which one side thereof ismolded actually has been developed as a small and thinresin-encapsulated semiconductor device (see JP 2001-77277 A, forexample).

Initially, the QFN-type resin-encapsulated semiconductor device in whicha die pad is exposed on a bottom surface of a package will be describedas a conventional resin-encapsulated semiconductor device. FIGS. 18A to18D illustrate the conventional QFN-type resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device; FIG. 18B is a plan view and FIG. 18A is across-sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG. 18B. In addition,FIGS. 18C and 18D illustrate a most commonly used QFP (Quad FlatPackage)-type resin-encapsulated semiconductor device, in which externalterminals protrude from a packaging resin toward a periphery thereof;FIG. 18C is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 18D is a plan view.

As shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the conventional QFN-typeresin-encapsulated semiconductor device has a structure in which asemiconductor element 52 is bonded on a die pad 51 of a lead frame and aplurality of inner lead portions 53 are arranged so that ends thereofare opposed to the die pad 51. Electrodes of the semiconductor element52 are connected electrically with surfaces of the inner lead portions53 via thin metal wires 54. The surroundings of the semiconductorelement 52, the die pad 51, the inner lead portions 53, and the thinmetal wires 54 are encapsulated with an encapsulating resin 55. Bottomsurfaces and outer lateral surfaces of the inner lead portions 53 areexposed on a bottom surface and lateral surfaces, respectively, of thepackage from the encapsulating resin 55, so as to be arranged asexternal terminals 56.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 18C and 18D, the conventional QFP typeresin-encapsulated semiconductor device also has a structure in whichthe semiconductor element 52 is bonded on a die pad 57 of a lead frameand a plurality of inner lead portions 58 are arranged so that endsthereof are opposed to the die pad 57. Electrodes of the semiconductorelement 52 are connected electrically with surfaces of the inner leadportions 58 via thin metal wires 59. The surroundings of thesemiconductor element 52, the die pad 57, the inner lead portions 58,and the thin metal wires 59 are encapsulated with an encapsulating resin60. Trailing ends of the inner lead portions 58 protrude from lateralsurfaces of the encapsulating resin 60, so as to be arranged as externalterminals 61 on outer lateral surfaces of the package.

The lead frame used in the conventional resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice, which is not shown in the figures, includes the die pad 51arranged substantially at the center in an opening region of a frame,hanging lead portions 62 for supporting the die pad 51, one end of eachof them being connected to each corner of the die pad 51, the other endthereof being connected to the frame, and the plurality of inner leadportions 53 arranged so that ends thereof are opposed to correspondingedges of the die pad 51.

In an attempt to make the conventional resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice with these structures smaller and have higher density, theperipheral type semiconductor devices, such as QFN, in which externalterminals are arranged on the periphery of the semiconductor devices,have been replaced by area array type semiconductor devices havinghigher density, such as BGA (Ball Grid Array), in which externalterminals are arranged in a grid pattern on a bottom surface of thesemiconductor devices. However, due to limitations on the processing ofa line and space (design of a wiring pattern) of a substrate to bemounted and limitations imposed by a method of mounting by a reflowprocess using a solder cream, the smallest possible pitch of theexternal terminals that allows these semiconductor devices to be mountedon the substrate is 0.4 mm in the case of the peripheral typesemiconductor devices such as QFN and 0.65 mm in the case of the areaarray type semiconductor devices such as BGA. Thus, furtherminiaturization and high-density packaging of the resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor devices are becoming difficult.

Further, there is a need for a semiconductor device commensurate with ahigher functionality of sets typified by mobile phones and the like. Inthe case of a mobile phone, for example, a frequency band of not lessthan 1 GHz in use has been utilized already to realize stablecommunications or large-capacity data communications in a currentindustrial field of mobile communications (mobile phones, PDAs, and thelike). In the future, there will be an increasing need for signalcommunications in a higher frequency band.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device in which a plurality of semiconductor elements orcoils and resistors for supporting the function of the semiconductorelements can be incorporated, and that allows other semiconductordevices to be stacked, and a method for manufacturing the same.

A resin-encapsulated semiconductor device according to the presentinvention includes: a lead frame including a plurality of first externalterminal portions provided on a plane, inner lead portions that areformed of back surfaces of the respective first external terminalportions and arranged at regular intervals so as to surround a regioninside the inner lead portions, and second external terminal portionsformed of uppermost surfaces of convex portions positioned outside therespective inner lead portions; a semiconductor element whose connectionpads are flip-chip bonded to the inner lead portions via bumps; and anencapsulating resin that encapsulates at least a part of surroundings ofthe semiconductor element including the inner lead portions andconnection parts via the bumps. The first external terminal portions arearranged in a lower surface region of the encapsulating resin along aperiphery of the region, and the second external terminal portions areexposed on an upper surface of the encapsulating resin. Further, aplurality of terminals for electrical connection are provided in a gridpattern in a region inside the first external terminal portions andexposed on a lower surface of the encapsulating resin.

A lead frame according to the present invention includes: a plurality offirst external terminal portions provided on a plane; inner leadportions that are formed of back surfaces of the respective firstexternal terminal portions and arranged at regular intervals so as tosurround a region inside the inner lead portions; and second externalterminal portions formed of uppermost surfaces of convex portionspositioned outside the respective inner lead portions. A plurality ofterminals for electrical connection are provided in a grid pattern inthe region inside the inner lead portions.

A method for manufacturing a resin-encapsulated semiconductor deviceaccording to the present invention includes: preparing a lead framehaving the above-mentioned configuration; forming conductive bumps onelectrodes of a first semiconductor element; connecting the electrodesof the first semiconductor element with predetermined positions of theinner lead portions and the terminals for electrical connection,respectively, via the conductive bumps; encapsulating the inner leadportions, the first semiconductor element, and the conductive bumps witha resin; and separating the encapsulated structure from a frame.

A method for manufacturing a lead frame according to the presentinvention is a method for manufacturing a lead frame having theabove-mentioned configuration. The method includes: preparing a leadframe in which terminals to be independent of each other are connected;forming a plated layer on the lead frame; applying a protective sheet toa surface on one side of the lead frame in which the terminals to beindependent of each other are connected; separating connected partsbetween the terminals to be independent of each other; and providing aplurality of terminals for electrical connection in the region insidethe arranged inner lead portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 1B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line A-A in FIG.1A.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a lead frame for illustrating a part of amanufacturing process of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device,FIG. 2B is a back view of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor devicemanufactured by the process, and FIGS. 2C to 2F are cross-sectionalviews of respective steps of the process.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a part of a lead frame for use in theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device.

FIGS. 4A to 4E are cross-sectional views showing examples of the shapeof the lead frame in the vicinity of an inner lead portion.

FIG. 5A is a plan view illustrating an exemplary resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device in which a semiconductor element is stacked, FIG.5B is a back view thereof, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view thereoftaken along line C-C in FIG. 5A.

FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate a part of a manufacturing process of theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device; FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspectiveviews illustrating respective steps of the process, FIG. 6C is anenlarged perspective view of a part of FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6D is anenlarged side view of a part of FIG. 6C.

FIG. 7A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 2, FIG. 7B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line D-D in FIG.7A.

FIG. 8A is a plan view of a lead frame for illustrating a part of amanufacturing process of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device,FIG. 8B is a back view of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor devicemanufactured by the process, and FIGS. 8C to 8G are cross-sectionalviews of respective steps of the process.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view,respectively, illustrating the step of FIG. 8F in detail.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are a cross-sectional view and a back view,respectively, showing an example of the packaging of theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C.

FIG. 11A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 3, FIG. 11B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line F-F in FIG.11A.

FIG. 12A is a plan view of a lead frame for illustrating a part of amanufacturing process of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device,FIG. 12B is a back view of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor devicemanufactured by the process, and FIGS. 12C to 12F are cross-sectionalviews of respective steps of the process.

FIG. 13A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 4, FIG. 13B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line G-G in FIG.13A.

FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of the relationship between afrequency (GHz) and a Q value of an inductor.

FIG. 15 is a plan view illustrating a lead frame used to manufacture theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device according to Embodiment 4.

FIGS. 16A to 16F are cross-sectional views illustrating a part of amanufacturing process of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view,respectively, illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductor deviceaccording to Embodiment 5.

FIGS. 18A to 18D illustrate a conventional resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device; FIGS. 18A and 18C are cross-sectional views andFIGS. 18B and 18D are back views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to a resin-encapsulated semiconductor device of the presentinvention, it is possible to form external terminals on an upper and alower surfaces of a peripheral type resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice in which external terminals are arranged on the periphery of thesemiconductor device, provide coils or resistors in the semiconductordevice, and stack semiconductor devices having a different number ofpins and the like freely.

In the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device according to the presentinvention, each of the terminals for electrical connection can be usedfor a power source GND and have a larger area than the other terminals.Alternatively, the plurality of terminals for electrical connection thatcomprise two terminals can form a starting point and an ending point,respectively, of a spiral coil. Alternatively, the plurality ofterminals for electrical connection can comprise two terminals with aresin having a high dielectric constant sandwiched therebetween.

The semiconductor element may have a plurality of electrode pads in aregion inside the flip-chip bonded region, and a second semiconductorelement that is smaller than a region inside inner ends of the innerlead portions and thinner than the inner lead portions of the lead framefurther may be flip-chip bonded to the electrode pads.

A back surface of a third semiconductor element may be bonded on thesecond external terminal portions via an adhesive, and a plurality ofinner lead posts may be provided in a region outside the inner leadportions, the inner lead posts being connected electrically withelectrode pads of the third semiconductor element via thin metal wires,and having their opposite surfaces exposed in the lower surface regionof the encapsulating resin.

In the lead frame according to the present invention, for example,spiral wiring can be provided in the region inside the inner leadportions and the terminals for electrical connection can form a startingpoint and an ending point, respectively, of the spiral wiring.Alternatively, the plurality of terminals for electrical connection cancomprise two terminals with a resin having a high dielectric constantsandwiched therebetween. Further, the lead frame having theabove-mentioned configuration further can include an insulatingprotective sheet for supporting the other elements.

The method for manufacturing a resin-encapsulated semiconductor deviceaccording to the present invention further can include: preparing asecond semiconductor element that is smaller than a region inside innerends of the inner lead portions and thinner than the inner lead portionsof the lead frame; forming a plurality of electrode pads in a regioninside a region for flip-chip bonding via the conductive bumps in thefirst semiconductor element; connecting the second semiconductor elementto the electrode pads formed in the inside region when the firstsemiconductor element is in a wafer state; and dividing the wafer intounits of the first semiconductor element. In the step of connecting theelectrodes of the first semiconductor element with predeterminedpositions of the inner lead portions and the terminals for electricalconnection, the first semiconductor element to which the secondsemiconductor element is connected is supplied.

The method for manufacturing a lead frame according to the presentinvention can further include: providing two terminals for electricalconnection, injecting a resin with a high dielectric constant betweenthe two terminals, and curing the resin. Alternatively, the inner leadportions can be arranged at regular intervals on a periphery of a regionin which a semiconductor device is to be mounted, and a resistor withtwo terminals can be provided in the region inside the inner lead, eachof the two terminals of the resistor having a region to be an uppersurface that is sufficiently large so as to allow bump bonding.

Hereinafter, the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device and a leadframe used therein according to each embodiment of the present inventionwill be described with reference to the drawings.

EMBODIMENT 1

FIG. 1A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 1B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line A-A in FIG.1A.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device hasstructure in which a first semiconductor element 2 is mounted on anupper surface of a lead frame 1 via metal bumps 3 by flip-chip bondingand a connection part located between the lead frame 1 and the firstsemiconductor element 2 is encapsulated with an encapsulating resin 4.

The lead frame 1 includes a plurality of first external terminalportions 5 arranged on a plane as shown in FIG. 1B and inner leadportions 6 formed of surfaces opposite to the first external terminalportions 5. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1C, second externalterminal portions 7 are formed of uppermost surfaces of convex portionspositioned in a part of the respective inner lead portions 6. The innerlead portions 6 are arranged at regular intervals so as to surround aregion inside the inner lead portions. The lead frame 1 further includesa plurality of terminals 8 for electrical connection provided in theregion inside the inner lead portions 6. The first external terminalportions 5, the second external terminal portions 7, and the terminals 8are exposed from the encapsulating resin 4.

Herein, in the semiconductor device, it is preferable that a distance inwhich high-frequency electric signals are transmitted is shorter. When adesign layout of the semiconductor element 2 allows the terminals 8 tobe arranged at positions to which signals are allowed to be transmittedmore directly, preferable electrical characteristics can be obtained. Apower source ground also is located according to the design layout ofthe semiconductor element 2.

FIGS. 2A to 2F are views illustrating a part of a manufacturing processof the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C.FIG. 2A is a plan view of the lead frame 1. FIG. 2B is a back view ofthe resin-encapsulated semiconductor device manufactured by the process.FIGS. 2C to 2F are cross-sectional views taken along line B-B in FIG. 2Bthat illustrate respective steps of the process.

Initially, as shown in FIG. 2C, the lead frame 1 is prepared. A lowersurface of the lead frame 1 is held by a lead frame holding sheet 1 a.Then, as shown in FIG. 2D, the semiconductor element 2 is mounted on thelead frame 1. In other words, electrode pads 2 a of the semiconductorelement 2 are connected with the inner lead portions 6 of the lead frame1 via the bumps 3.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2E, the semiconductor element 2 and the innerlead portions 6 of the lead frame 1 are encapsulated with theencapsulating resin. More specifically, the lead frame 1 to which thesemiconductor element 2 has been bonded is placed between resinencapsulating molds 9 a and 9 b, which is then filled with theencapsulating resin. Although only one semiconductor device is shown inthe figure, actually resin-encapsulated semiconductor devices arrangedadjacent to each other in a grid pattern may be encapsulated with theresin in a block form. At this time, an encapsulating sheet 10 may beprovided between the lead frame 1 and the encapsulating mold 9 b. Thefirst external terminal portions 5, the second external terminalportions 7, and the terminals 8 of the lead frame 1 are exposed on asurface of the resin. Herein, a thermosetting epoxy resin, for example,is used as the encapsulating resin, and a resin molding temperature isset in a range of 150 to 250° C.

After the encapsulation, as shown in FIG. 2F, the adjacentresin-encapsulated semiconductor devices are divided along dividinglines. In this step, when the resin-encapsulated semiconductor deviceshave a total thickness of not more than 0.2 mm, they can be divided by alaser-cutting method. On the other hand, when the resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor devices have a total thickness of more than 0.2 mm, theyare divided using a saw, since when the laser cutting method is used,the handling of dross of a molten metal on laser dividing surfacesbecomes a problem in terms of dividing time (index) and quality.

In encapsulating, as shown in FIG. 2E, when the encapsulating sheet 10is applied to a surface on one side of the lead frame 1, theencapsulating sheet 10 contacts with portions that are to become thesecond external terminal portions 7 when the encapsulation is carriedout, thereby preventing resin burr. Further, since the lead frame 1slightly intrudes into the encapsulating sheet 10, a standoff can beformed. For example, when the encapsulating sheet 10 has a thickness of30 μm, a standoff of 2 μm to 10 μm is formed. However, even when theencapsulating sheet 10 is not used, the thickness of the material of thelead frame 1 amounts to the total thickness of the resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device, and thus a compressive force of the resinencapsulating molds 9 a and 9 b can be provided stably. Therefore, resinburr can be eliminated sufficiently by a process using conventionalchemicals.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a part of an exemplary lead frameused in this embodiment. A lead frame 11 includes a plurality ofpositioning holes (circular holes) 12 and positioning holes (ellipticalholes) 13 on both ends thereof in a shorter direction. A region 14 to beencapsulated with the resin is indicated inside the positioning holes 12and 13, and a plurality of regions 15 for mounting the elements arearranged in a grid pattern inside the region 14 to be encapsulated withthe resin. The number of the regions 15 for mounting the elements to bearranged depends upon the size of the semiconductor device. Further, thenumber of external terminals (the number of pins) and a design withinthe regions 15 for mounting the elements vary depending upon the size,the number of output and input terminals, and the like of thesemiconductor elements to be mounted.

Herein, the lead frame 11 of this embodiment has, for example, lengthsof 30 to 80 mm in the shorter direction and 50 to 260 mm in alongitudinal direction, and a thickness of 0.1 to 0.4 mm. Further, thelead frame 11 is made of an Fe—Ni material, a Cu alloy, or the like. Thesize of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device to be arrangedgenerally is 3.0×3.0 mm to 20.0×20.0 mm.

An Fe—Ni material, a Cu alloy, or the like as a material of the leadframe 11 of this embodiment may be provided with a plated metal, whichis required for the bonding or the mounting of the semiconductorelement. As a plating material, Ag, Au, Ni—Pd, or the like is used.However, in the case of Ag plating in particular, it is provided only onthe inner lead portions, and in a later step of manufacturing thesemiconductor device, Sn—Pb plating or Sn—Bi plating is required to beprovided on portions that are to become the external terminal portionsformed of surfaces opposite to the inner lead portions. The thickness ofthe plating provided on the lead frame 11 is not more than 1 μM in thecase of Au plating and Pd plating, and not more than several μm in thecase of Ag plating. Although not shown in FIG. 3, in order to assemblethe semiconductor device stably, a heat-resistant base material such aspolyimide or an aluminum foil may be applied temporarily to a surface ofthe lead frame 11 opposed to a surface to which semiconductor elementsare to be bonded.

FIGS. 4A to 4E are cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the innerlead portion in the region 15 for mounting the element of the lead frame11 in combination with the semiconductor element 2 provided with thebump 3.

FIG. 4A illustrates an inner lead portion 16 a as a first example. Aconvex second external terminal portion 17 that has a rectangular,elliptical, or cylindrical shape and has a width equal to or smallerthan that of the inner lead portion 16 a is provided in a region apartfrom an end portion of the inner lead portion 16 a. The end portion ofthe inner lead portion 16 a has a region broader than a lead that is tobecome a first external terminal portion 18. A circular trapezoidalconvex portion 19 a protruding is formed on a plane of the broad regionat the end of the inner lead portion 16 a. The convex portion 19 a ispositioned so as to correspond to a position of the bump 3 provided onan electrode pad of the semiconductor element 2. FIG. 4B shows the statewhere the semiconductor element 2 with the bump 3 is bonded to theconvex portion 19 a.

FIG. 4C illustrates an inner lead portion 16 b as a second example. Theinner lead portion 16 b has a convex portion 19 b having a differentshape from that shown in the first example. Except for this point, theinner lead portion 16 b is formed in the same manner as that in thefirst example. The convex portion 19 b has its upper surface formed in aconcave shape. FIG. 4D shows the state where the semiconductor element 2with the bump 3 is bonded to the convex portion 19 b.

FIG. 4E illustrates an inner lead portion 16 c as a third example. Theinner lead portion 16 c has the same configuration as that in the firstexample except for circular concave portions 19 c having a pointedprotrusion lower than an upper surface of the inner lead portion 16 c.When the circular concave portions 19 c are bonded to the bump 3, thepointed protrusion at the center thereof intrudes into the bump 3 in awedge shape.

The first external terminal portion 18 in this embodiment has a lengthof, for example, 0.2 to 0.6 mm. The inner lead portions 16 a to 16 chave a length of, for example, 0.5 to 2.0 mm and a width of, forexample, 0.1 to 0.40 mm. The inner lead portions 16 a to 16 c have athickness of, for example, 0.1 to 0.20 mm. The thickness of each of theinner lead portions 16 a to 16 c including the convex portion formed asthe second external terminal portion 17 amounts to 0.1 to 0.4 mm. Thisthickness is approximately within a range of a resin thickness of theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device. The concave/convex protrusions19 a and 19 b at the ends of the inner lead portions 16 a and 16 b,respectively, approximately have a height of 0.02 to 0.1 mm and a sizeof φ 0.03 to 0.1 mm. The semiconductor element 2 usually has a size in arange of 1.0×1.0 mm to 12.0×12.0 mm and a thickness of approximately0.05 to 0.15 mm. The level difference generated by the circular concaveportions 19 c in the inner lead portion 16 c in FIG. 4E is approximately0.02 to 0.10 mm.

FIGS. 5A to 5C illustrates an exemplary resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice in which semiconductor elements are stacked; FIG. 5A is a planview, FIG. 5B is a back view, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional viewtaken along line C-C in FIG. 5A.

The resin-encapsulated semiconductor device has a configuration in whicha first semiconductor element 2 is mounted on an upper surface of a leadframe 20 and a second semiconductor element 21 is mounted on a lowersurface of the first semiconductor element 2. A connection part locatedbetween the lead frame 20 and the first semiconductor element 2 and aconnection part located between the first and second semiconductorelements 2 and 21 are encapsulated with an encapsulating resin 4. Thelead frame 20 includes a plurality of first external terminal portions 5arranged on a back surface of the encapsulating resin 4 as shown in FIG.5B, inner lead portions 6 formed of back surfaces of the first externalterminal portions 5, and second external terminal portions 7 formed ofuppermost surfaces of convex portions positioned in a part of therespective inner lead portions 6. The inner lead portions 6 are arrangedat regular intervals so as to surround a region inside the inner leadportions.

As shown in FIG. 5C, the first semiconductor element 2 is flip-chipbonded to ends of the inner lead portions 6 via metal bumps 3. Thesecond semiconductor element 21 smaller than the first semiconductorelement 2 is flip-chip bonded in advance to a region inside theflip-chip bonded parts of the first semiconductor element 2. Thethickness of the laminate formed of the first and second semiconductorelements 2 and 21 is set not to be greater than the total thickness ofthe lead frame 20.

A bottom surface, an upper surface, and outer lateral surfaces of thelead frame 20 exposed from the encapsulating resin 4 form the firstexternal terminal portions 5 and the second external terminal portions7. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the first external terminal portions 5and the second external terminal portions 7 are exposed on surfaces ofthe encapsulating resin 4, which allows a plurality of semiconductordevices having external terminals at corresponding positions to bestacked.

FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate a part of a manufacturing process of theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, i.e., astep of flip-chip bonding between the first and second semiconductorelements. FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views illustrating the step,FIG. 6C is an enlarged perspective view of a part of FIG. 6A, and FIG.6D is an enlarged side view of a part of FIG. 6C.

Initially, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6C, Au stud bumps are formed onelectrode pads 2 a of each of the first semiconductor elements 2 on asemiconductor wafer 22 examined in advance, and the second semiconductorelement 21 is flip-chip bonded thereto. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, thesemiconductor wafer 22 to which each of the second semiconductorelements 21 is flip-chip bonded is subjected to dicing with a blade 23along a dividing line 24 shown in FIG. 6D, thereby dividing thesemiconductor wafer 22 into each of the first semiconductor elements 2.At this time, the semiconductor wafer 22 is held by a holding ring 25and a dicing sheet 26.

The bumps 3 formed on the electrode pads 2 a of the first semiconductorelement 2 have, for example, a diameter in a planar shape ofapproximately φ 0.05 to 0.1 mm and a height of approximately 0.02 to 0.1mm. Each of the first and second semiconductor elements 2 and 21 isprepared in the following manner: circuits are formed on a surface of asemiconductor substrate made of a single crystal silicon base material,then Cu wiring patterns with a thickness of 30 nm to 1000 nm, forexample, are formed, and the circuits are connected with respectiveelectrode pads.

In order to maintain the bonding reliability against impacts such asultrasonic waves, loads, and heat applied when the electrode pads 2 aare bonded to ends of the inner lead portions and the bondingreliability after the semiconductor device is assembled, the electrodepads 2 a are provided with a plurality of (3 to 4) ALCu layers that arebrought into conduction by W, Ti, TiN, or the like, the uppermostsurface thereof being covered with AL or Pd, Au, or the like by a CVDmethod or the like. The bumps 3 are made of, for example, SnPb by aplating method, and Au at a purity not less than 99.99%, which is amaterial for forming a bump called a stud bump, by a mechanical method.When Au is used for the bumps 3, a conductive paste such as an AgPdpaste may be used when the bumps 3 are bonded to the ends of the innerlead portions 6, thereby ensuring the bonding property.

EMBODIMENT 2

FIG. 7A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 2, FIG. 7B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line D-D in FIG.7A. FIGS. 8A to 8G illustrate a manufacturing process of theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7C, second external terminalportions 28 of a lead frame 27 have a slightly different shape from thatshown in the above embodiment, that is, have larger areas, on whichsolder balls 29 are provided. Further, in this embodiment, anencapsulating resin 30 is provided by potting as shown in FIG. 8E,although injection molding is conducted in the case shown in FIG. 2E.Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a step of grinding the resinis carried out.

FIG. 8A is a plan view of the lead frame 27. FIG. 8B is a plan view ofthe resin-encapsulated semiconductor device manufactured by the process.

FIGS. 8C to 8G are cross-sectional views taken along line E-E in FIG. 8Bthat illustrate respective steps of the process.

Initially, as shown in FIG. 8C, the lead frame 27 and a semiconductorelement 2 provided with bumps 3 are prepared. Then, as shown in FIG. 8D,the semiconductor element 2 is mounted on the lead frame 27. In otherwords, electrode pads 2 a of the semiconductor element 2 are connectedwith inner lead portions 6 of the lead frame 27 via the bumps 3.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8E, the semiconductor element 2 and the innerlead portions 6 of the lead frame 27 are encapsulated with the resin 30through a potting step. Herein, first external terminal portions 5,second external terminal portions 28, and terminals 8 of the lead frame27 are exposed on a surface of the resin 30. The potting makes itunnecessary to use an expensive encapsulating mold. The lead frame towhich the semiconductor element is bonded is disposed on a bench andfilled with the resin 30 by the potting method. Thereafter, the resin 30is cured by heat at a temperature of 150° C. for 2 hours, for example.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8F, unwanted resin is removed in a grinding step.After that, as shown in FIG. 8G, the solder balls 29 may be provided.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show more specifically an example of the grinding stepfor removing the unwanted resin as shown in FIG. 8F. FIG. 9A is a crosssectional view, and FIG. 9B is a plan view illustrating thesemiconductor device obtained after the grinding. As shown in FIG. 9A, abelt grinding method using a grinding belt 31 is used. The grinding belt31 whose surface is impregnated with a grinding agent is rotated at ahigh velocity of 7000 rpm to 30000 rpm. The semiconductor device 2 isplaced on a grinding board 32, and the grinding board 32 is driven backand forth. Although cutting oil is used conventionally to grind metalmaterials, wash water is used to grind semiconductor devices. Thegrinding belt 31 goes down in steps of several μM to grind theencapsulating resin 30. The belt grinding method is very efficient ingrinding a strip-shaped work such as the lead frame that is encapsulatedwith the resin in a block form, as compared with a back grinding methodwith a grinding stone wheel that is used generally to grindsemiconductor wafers.

Although not shown in the figures, a conventionally used printingencapsulating system using a squeegee also may be used in the resinencapsulating step. In the printing encapsulating system, the unwantedresin is removed by the squeegee before it is cured, which eliminatesthe need for the grinding step. In general, a resin used in the pottingor printing method has lower moisture resistance and physical strengththan those of a thermosetting epoxy resin containing silica, which isused in injection molding. However, as semiconductor devices becomeconsiderably thinner than conventional ones and thus requires a smalleramount of encapsulating resin, there is an increasing acceptability inusing such a resin used in the potting or printing method.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate an example of packaging theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C; FIG.10A is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 10B is a back view. Asemiconductor device 33 of this embodiment is packaged in combinationwith an SON (Small Outline Package) semiconductor device 34 with smallpins and a QFP semiconductor device 35 that are provided on thesemiconductor device 33. In this manner, the semiconductor device ofthis embodiment allows commercially available semiconductor devices tobe stacked thereon easily. Therefore, such a semiconductor device can beobtained at a lower cost than a semiconductor device in which aplurality of semiconductor elements are incorporated.

EMBODIMENT 3

FIG. 11A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 3, FIG. 11B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line F-F in FIG.11A. The resin-encapsulated semiconductor device basically has the samestructure as that shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. In the resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device of this embodiment, a resin 37 with a highdielectric constant is sandwiched between two terminals 36 provided in aregion inside inner lead portions 6.

This configuration allows a formation of a resistor. In general, aresistor (square shape) is formed by printing and baking a thick filmpaste on an aluminum ceramic substrate. As the thick film paste tobecome a resistor, a ruthenium-oxide(RuO₂)-based paste is used. Such aruthenium-oxide (RuO₂)-based paste also can be used as the resin 37 witha high dielectric constant of this embodiment, and it is injectedbetween the two terminals by a dispenser system and then cured. Amanufacturing process of the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device isshown in FIGS. 12A to 12F.

FIG. 12A is a plan view of a lead frame 38. FIG. 12B is a back view ofthe resin-encapsulated semiconductor device manufactured by the process.FIGS. 12C to 12F are cross-sectional views of respective steps of theprocess. Initially, as shown in FIG. 12C, the lead frame 38 is prepared.A lower surface of the lead frame 38 is held by a lead frame holdingsheet 39. A ruthenium-oxide (RuO₂)-based paste 40, for example, isinjected between the terminals 36 of the lead frame 38 by a dispenser 41and then cured. As a result, the resin 37 with a high dielectricconstant is formed. Subsequent steps shown in FIGS. 12D to 12F are thesame as those shown in FIGS. 2D to 2F.

Instead of providing the resin 37 with a high dielectric constantbetween the two terminals 36, a resistor with two terminals may beprovided. In such a case, the two terminals of the resistor are providedsuch that regions to be an upper surface of the resistor are largeenough to allow bump bonding. Further, it is also possible to provide acapacitor instead of the resistor. In the case of a chip capacitor, adielectric material with a high dielectric constant is used. As thedielectric material, various materials such as titanium oxide and bariumtitanate can be used. In the case of a ceramic capacitor, it is requiredto make a dielectric material thin so as to increase a capacity, as wellas to stack the dielectric material and an electrode materialalternately. Consequently, it costs less to use commercially availablecapacitors than the configuration in which the resin with a highdielectric constant is injected between the two terminals.

EMBODIMENT 4

FIG. 13A is a plan view illustrating a resin-encapsulated semiconductordevice according to Embodiment 4, FIG. 13B is a back view thereof, andFIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along line G-G in FIG.13A. The resin-encapsulated semiconductor device basically has the samestructure as that shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C. In the resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device of this embodiment, two terminals 42 provided in aregion inside inner lead portions 6 serve as a starting point and anending point, respectively, of a coil 43.

The formation of the coil 43 allows a Q value of an inductorrepresenting the high frequency characteristics to be increased, therebyimproving the signal output characteristics. In addition, since the twoterminals 42 as the starting point and the ending point, respectively,are bump-bonded to electrode pads of a semiconductor device 2 directly,output is improved by, for example, 5 dB in the case of a driver withelectric signals having a high frequency of 2 GHz, as compared with thecase of conventional bonding with thin metal wires. However, the coil 43may affect other electric signals, and thus it is required to determineappropriately the design pattern layout of the semiconductor element 2or the position of the coil. FIG. 14 shows an example of therelationship between a frequency (GHz) and the Q value of an inductor.The Q value on this curve increases as the number of turns and thethickness of the coil are increased.

FIG. 15 is a plan view illustrating a lead frame used to manufacture theresin-encapsulated semiconductor device of this embodiment. The shape ofits periphery formed of the inner lead portions 6, second externalterminal portions 7, and the like is the same as that shown in FIG. 2A.The difference from the structure shown in FIG. 2A is that the terminals42 and the coil 43 are provided in the region inside the inner leadportions 6. The resin-encapsulated semiconductor device of thisembodiment can be manufactured using this lead frame through respectivesteps shown in FIGS. 16A to 16F. FIGS. 16A to 16F are cross-sectionalviews taken along line G-G in FIG. 13A that illustrate a process formanufacturing the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device shown in FIGS.13A to 13C.

Initially, as shown in FIG. 16A, a lead frame 44 with a coil 43 providedbetween terminals 42 is prepared. A lower surface of the lead frame 44is held by a lead frame holding sheet 45. Then, as shown in FIG. 16B,semiconductor elements 2 are mounted on the lead frame 44. In otherwords, electrode pads 2 a of each of the semiconductor elements 2 areconnected with the inner lead portions 6 of the lead frame 44 via bumps3.

Then, the semiconductor elements 2 and the inner lead portions 6 of thelead frame 44 are encapsulated with an encapsulating resin 4. Morespecifically, as shown in FIG. 16C, the lead frame 44 to which thesemiconductor elements 2 have been bonded is placed between resinencapsulating molds 46 a and 46 b, which is then filled with theencapsulating resin 4. At this time, an encapsulating sheet 47 may beprovided between the lead frame 44 and the encapsulating mold 46 b. Amolded body taken out from the resin encapsulating molds 46 a and 46 bas shown in FIG. 16D is cut by a blade 23 along a dividing line 24 asshown in FIG. 16E, thereby obtaining individual resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor devices as shown in FIG. 16F.

EMBODIMENT 5

FIG. 17A is a cross sectional view illustrating a resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device according to Embodiment 5, and FIG. 17B is a planview thereof. FIG. 17A shows a cross section taken along line H-H inFIG. 17B. In the resin-encapsulated semiconductor device of thisembodiment, a third semiconductor element 48 further is adhered with anadhesive 49 to upper surfaces of second external terminal portions 7provided on the periphery of the semiconductor device as shown in FIGS.5A to 5C, and terminals (inner lead posts) 50 are provided outside thesecond external terminal portions 7. The third semiconductor element 48is connected electrically with the terminals 50 via thin metal wires 54.

Further, by arranging the external terminal portions in accordance withthe design based on the external standards of a semiconductor devicecreated by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) or theJEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology IndustriesAssociation), it is also possible to mount commercially availableelectronic components or semiconductors on the resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device of the present invention.

The invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from thespirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments disclosedin this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not limiting. The scope of the invention is indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are intended to be embraced therein.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A method for manufacturing a resin-encapsulatedsemiconductor device, comprising: preparing a lead frame having aplurality of first external terminal portions provided on a plane, innerlead portions that are formed on back surfaces of the respective firstexternal terminal portions and arranged at regular intervals so as tosurround a region inside the inner lead portions, second externalterminal portions formed of uppermost surfaces of convex portionspositioned outside the respective inner lead portions, and a pluralityof terminals for electrical connection provided in a grid pattern in theregion inside the inner lead portions; forming conductive bumps onelectrodes of a first semiconductor element; connecting the electrodesof the first semiconductor element with predetermined positions of theinner lead portions and the terminals for electrical connection,respectively, via the conductive bumps; encapsulating the inner leadportions, the first semiconductor element, and the conductive bumps witha resin; and separating the encapsulated structure from a frame.
 12. Themethod for manufacturing a resin-encapsulated semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 11, further comprising: preparing a secondsemiconductor element that is smaller than a region inside inner ends ofthe inner lead portions and thinner than the inner lead portions of thelead frame; forming a plurality of electrode pads in a region inside aregion for flip-chip bonding via the conductive bumps in the firstsemiconductor element; connecting the second semiconductor element tothe electrode pads formed in the inside region when the firstsemiconductor element is in a wafer state; and dividing the wafer intounits of the first semiconductor element; wherein in the step ofconnecting the electrodes of the first semiconductor element withpredetermined positions of the inner lead portions and the terminals forelectrical connection, the first semiconductor element to which thesecond semiconductor element is connected is supplied.
 13. A method formanufacturing a lead frame including a plurality of first externalterminal portions provided on a plane, inner lead portions that areformed on back surfaces of the respective first external terminalportions and arranged at regular intervals so as to surround a regioninside the inner lead portions, second external terminal portions formedof uppermost surfaces of convex portions positioned outside therespective inner lead portions, two terminals provided in the regioninside the inner lead portions, and a resin with a high dielectricconstant sandwiched between the two terminals, comprising: preparing alead frame in which terminals to be independent of each other areconnected; forming a plated layer on the lead frame; applying aprotective sheet to a surface on one side of the lead frame in which theterminals to be independent of each other are connected; separating theconnected terminals to be independent of each other; and providing aplurality of terminals for electrical connection in the region insidethe arranged inner lead portions.
 14. The method for manufacturing alead frame according to claim 13, further comprising: providing twoterminals for electrical connection, injecting a resin with a highdielectric constant between the two terminals, and curing the resin. 15.The method for manufacturing a lead frame according to claim 13, whereinthe inner lead portions are arranged at regular intervals on a peripheryof a region in which a semiconductor device is to be mounted, and aresistor with two terminals is provided in the region inside the innerlead portions, each of the two terminals of the resistor having a regionto be an upper surface that is sufficiently large so as to allow bumpbonding.